Friday, March 31, 2023
Dan Ex Machina - Pity Party Animal: 7.5 (high B+)
Apparently was on CD, although I can't find any evidence that this is actually the case. I messaged the band to see if they had any lying around. If they answer, I'll pick it up. I actually found a copy for a very good price and snagged it. The front cover does not look like this. This is actually the back cover on my copy. On my copy the front cover is an almost naked Dan Weiss. Maybe he got shy and changed it? In any event, I can't easily find an image of that on the internet, so the above image will have to do. I am now the proud owner of the band's entire oeuvre (minus the two singles, I guess, and the digital-only album of course). I am strangely proud of this.
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Tavares - In the City: 8 (A-)
Found a sealed, original issue vinyl for 10 bucks. Thing looks like it just got teleported to my house from Woolworth's in 1975.
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Macy Gray - The Very Best of Macy Gray: 8 (A-)
I already have her first two albums (as well as The Sellout, released after this). So, I’d be paying for three tracks from album three, plus three non-album tracks, plus three remixes of songs I already have.
Friday, March 24, 2023
The Wronglers with Jimmie Dale Gilmore - Heirloom Music: 7 (B+)
# [country/bluegrass] [really nice looking product]
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Sunday, March 19, 2023
Saturday, March 18, 2023
Naughty by Nature - Naughty's Nicest: 8.5 (high A-)
Comparing these two, Naughty’s Nicest (Rhino) has three songs not on Nature's Finest (Tommy Boy):
"Everyday All Day" – from debut
"Yoke the Joker" – from debut
"Dirt All by My Lonely" – from Nature's Fury
And Nature's Finest has four songs not on Naughty's Nicest:
"Penetration" – actually a Next song, feat. NBN
"Clap Yo Hands (Remix)" – from Poverty's Paradise
"Nothing to Lose (Naughty Live)" – from Nothing to Lose soundtrack
"Naughty by Nature (The Megamix)" – previously unreleased
If you discount the megamix, which one should, then they have an equal number of tracks. As far as regular-issue albums, Nature's Finest has five tracks from the debut, while Naughty's Nicest has seven. They both have the same two tracks from Poverty's Paradise, although Nature's Finest adds a subpar remix of the best track, "Craziest." They both have the same three tracks from 19NaughtyIII. Finally, Naughty's Nicest has one from Nature's Fury.
Essentially, Nature's Finest over Naughty's Nicest gets you a live track (!) and a subpar Next r&b song, so, essentially nothing, while Nature's Finest gets me the three album tracks listed above. Also, since I don't really like the debut, but it's considered "their best" by many, Naughty's Nicest gives me seven whole tracks from that. Bottom line: Naughty's Nicest is the no-brainer. Plus, it's sequenced via album, not all over the place, no megamixes, live tracks, r&b songs by other artists featuring NBN, subpar remixes of their best track, etc. No big surprise that Rhino did a better reissue job than the original label, Tommy Boy. A great label, but still, not a reissue specialist.
[TL;DR: Nicest - 13 album, 3 soundtrack | Finest - 11 album, 3 soundtrack, 1 live, 1 megamix, 1 Next]
Tavares - The Best of Tavares: Capital Gold Series [placeholder]
The nine extra tracks not on Best of Tavares (1977) are not good enough to justify a purchase of this remastered 1993 release, which also drops two from the former. Listened to the nine extra tracks three times each.
Tavares - Madame Butterfly [honorable mention]
:-) [Not quite sure how or why this got on the 3-listen list. I think it was a mistake or moment of sloppiness. Pleasant enough anyway.]
Tavares - The Best of Tavares: 8.5 (high A-)
Looks like it was remastered and put on CD in 1989, but not upgrading to such an early remastering job.
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Status Quo - Rockin’ All Over the World: liked
As far as I will probably go with this band, since an obvious, clear-winner, single-CD best of, or a consensus best album, does not appear to exist.
Beauty Pill - The Cigarette Girl From the Future [EP]: 7.5 (high B+)
Would definitely buy this if it were available used, at all. I am seeing several sealed copies for $30 shipped, for a 5 song EP at 22 minutes. Not doing that.
Friday, March 17, 2023
Somadima - Heart of the Heavenly Undeniable: 8 (A-)
I can find out nothing about this release or artist. Other than that the album can be streamed on various services.
CMAT - If My Wife New I'd Be Dead: 8 (A-)
I'll keep the album cover, because I originally had this at 8 (A-). On a fourth listen, I don't recognize a single song or even the album as a whole and am surprised that I graded it at that. A little scary actually. Gave it a fifth listen after seeing how high it placed on Christgau's year-end list (it would be a 9.5 (high A) in my system), but I'm still not hearing it. Update (October 2025): OMG I can't keep my story straight on this one. Back to 8 (A-), and presumably there it will stay. I have a copy now, so I'm invested in it.
Michael Prophet - Jah Love: 7 (B+)
Shady looking CD "reissue" probably a needle drop (no indication that it's remastered, no date, etc.), and original 1983 vinyl ridiculously over-priced. [four listens]
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Mardi Gras [honorable mention]
:-) [Not as bad as all that, but definitely their worst. Too bad, 1972 was such a great year for music. I wish they had made a qualifying contribution.]
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Balka Sound - Balka Sound: 7.5 (high B+)
At 75 minutes, this gets a little repetitive and seems to go on for a long time. Plus, it looks like the CD version is one of those cheapo "jacket-only" type deals. #beembe/import
Sunday, March 12, 2023
John Lee Hooker - The Very Best of John Lee Hooker: X (X)
Almost went with the double-disc The Ultimate Collection from Rhino, but Christgau, who has better blues ears than I do, gave it an A minus. I'm not going to spring for a double-disc best-of at that grade unheard (it's not on Spotify). I'm essentially throwing up my hands and giving up with this artist and stopping with this single-disc collection. His discography is a total mess. Hooker is a quadruple-disc set, which is just too much for a single artist, unless you're James Brown or someone of that stature. Of course, if I can ever play the whole thing (not all tracks are on Spotify), I will do so, and perhaps change my mind, but I would certainly never buy a monster like that without hearing it first. The single-disc Definitive is also an option. It has four more tracks than this, and came out about 11 years later, so presumably has some later work too, but I'm not sure that's a good thing. Anyway, I wish there was a good double-disc option out there, but I guess not. Again, with Ultimate, there's no way to hear it first, and not being a blues fanatic (especially not a solo blues guitar fanatic, which alot of his work apparently is), I think I'm going to just stick with this.
The Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks, Vol. 34: 8.5 (high A-)
Actually, grade is for the November 5, 1977 show at the Community War Memorial in Rochester, NY. However, this set inexplicably expands it to 3 discs and intersperses the Rochester tracks with tracks from another concert on a different night -- November 2, 1977, Seneca College Field House. Those tracks aren't as good. Why on earth did they not just do the Rochester show full on two CDs? Probably because they sold the unnecessary 3-disc sets for around $60. Ridiculous. I could print one up with just the Rochester show, but I have the right shows from the classic May run in 1977, and I'll leave it at that.
Friday, March 10, 2023
Deep Puddle Dynamics - The Taste of Rain... Why Kneel: 7 (B+)
Used physicals ridiculously expensive. Includes Sole, Doseone, Alias, and Slug (Atmosphere).
Sunday, March 5, 2023
Onom Agemo and Ahmed Ag Kaedy - Tartit: 8 (A-)
Digital/vinyl-only. [Not to be confused with the Malian band named Tartit]
Various - Luxury Condos Coming to Your Neighborhood Soon: 7.5 (high B+)
# [multi-artist compilations]
$ilkMoney [Silkmoney] - I Don’t Give a Fuck About This Rap Shit ... [honorable mention]
:-) [Digital only anyway]
Full Time Men – Full Time Men [EP]: liked
I would probably get a physical anyway if it were a 7-inch. I do not like 12-inch EPs, especially ones with only three songs. With Peter Buck.
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Stevie Wonder - Original Musiquarium I: 9 (A)
For years I didn't consider getting this much, because I of course have all his classic 1972-1980 run, and I never fully realized that this was baited with four new songs (one per LP side), each released as singles at the time. I have since read that this was the first (or one of the first) greatest hits albums to do something like this, although the practice seems to have quickly become to bait the collection with a bunch of crap. The four songs included here, however, are legitimate tracks, and make up something like one third of the playing time. So I picked up a used, remastered version of this in a nice digipack. If you were to grade just the 12 previously-released tracks I suppose you would have to give it a 9 (A) or higher, even if you think Wonder is primarily an "album artist" (and then maybe still not get it because you had no use for it). Strangely, though, the other tracks might simultaneously make you drop the grade and lead you to pick up a copy. Myself, I would probably grade the 12 previously-released tracks standing alone as a 9.5 (high A) (not an essential collection give how essential the source albums are), but dock it a notch for the lesser quality 4 new tracks that make up the rest of the collection, and for the one so-so track from Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants.
Saturday, March 4, 2023
Buck 65 - This Right Here Is an EP Release: notation
Consists entirely of new versions of previously released material.
Sebutones [Buck 65/Sixtoo] - 50/50 Where It Counts: 7.5 (high B+)
Totally unavailable at reasonable prices for an album at this grade.